Like any college student, Colin P. has his share of stresses—balancing difficult homework assignments, passing midterms, all the while working a part time minimum-wage job and squeezing in the odd social activity. “It’s been an adjustment period for sure,” says the 29-year-old Army vet, who moved to Bend just a few months ago.
“It’s been much more difficult than I anticipated… I’m feeling drained. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll even make it to next term…especially since it’s been hard to keep up on showers and it’s been getting so cold at night. I mean, 13 degrees in October? I’m worried about the actual winter, man.”
Showering and staying warm is difficult for the hopeful student because, Colin, like a growing number of Bendites, doesn’t have access to bathroom facilities, a furnace or even a bed. That’s because he lives in his car.
On the fringes
The housing affordability crisis, so prevalent in recent years, has exacerbated a homelessness crisis. Local advocates report a growing number of individuals who can no longer afford stable housing spend nights sleeping in their only asset, their vehicles.
The demographic is varied and the true numbers hard to gauge—from transitory situations like Colin, to students and travelers, to the chronic homeless bouncing in and out of shelters.
“We know a lot of people [live] in their cars,” says J.W Terry, executive director of Central Oregon Veteran’s Outreach, which provides homeless services in Crook, Jefferson and Deschutes counties. More than 55% of the population they service are non-veterans. Speaking to Colin’s situation, Terry acknowledges it’s not a unique case. “We have a lot of veterans going to school that live in their cars… and contrary to popular belief, living on campus isn’t a heck of a lot cheaper than living off campus.”
Terry adds, “There’s zero low-income housing. And don’t use the quote ‘affordable housing,’ it’s low -income housing, and there’s zero. And when you do talk affordable, affordable for who? Anyone that’s making $12 bucks an hour can’t afford it. There’s very little affordable housing here in Bend.”
Touring Colin’s cramped wagon, the student stashes his belongings to one side so he can lie down at night and pins up makeshift curtains for a bit of privacy. He showers once a week, on Wednesday, at the shower truck outside of the Bend United Methodist Church. He’s been trying out different areas to park, from westside neighborhoods to Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service areas. He likes to be close to school to cut down on gas costs, so he opts for city streets during the weekdays, which “can get hectic if you choose the wrong neighborhood,” and the forest for weekends. He says he’s stressed constantly about being caught and hides his homeless status from work colleagues for fear of being stigmatized since, “I’m not living in a van, you know. It’s a shitty car.
“I’ve gotten my first grey hair this year,” he says half-chuckling. Most of his interactions with homeowners have been brief. “I mostly just have experiences with passive-aggressive notes being left on my car telling me to move. Twice when I parked near a nicer home, I had a police encounter because someone reported a ‘suspicious vehicle.’ It can be stressful being woken up to a flashlight being shone straight down onto you.”
Kathy Skidmore, COVO’s executive officer, talks about the stresses she sees with those experiencing homelessness. “Once you’re homeless, everything starts falling apart. You lose your credit, your rental history… which impacts you if you ever want to rent or buy a home. It’s tough.”
COVO offers services for those in need and can give assistance to application fees, deposits and “other barriers to get into housing,” including, “addressing legal or credit issues, anything that is a barrier to be successfully housed.”
In June, the Bend City Council tightened parking restrictions, shortening the time people can park cars on public right-of-ways from five calendar days to three business days. Citing increased concerns from citizens, the council voted 4-2 to change the ordinance, intending to maximize parking turnover.
Homelessness on the rise
In 2019, the number of people who experienced homelessness in Central Oregon jumped up 12% to 880 people since the previous year, according to the annual Point in Time report carried out by the Central Oregon Homeless Leadership Coaltion, under guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. In the entire state of Oregon, 14,500 people are experiencing homelessness at any given time, with the state experiencing the largest growth of chronic homelessness of any state in the nation, according to a 2017 report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon—which brought to light the growing number of cities that are criminalizing homelessness by tightening laws pertaining to sleeping in public areas.
“Laws that criminalize poverty and homelessness fuel prejudices and stereotypes and spur further criminalization and community divide,” the report reads, adding Oregon has 224 laws which “create clear barriers to performing life sustaining activities and legalize the unfair and harmful treatment of unhoused communities.” According to street outreach interviews conducted by the Western Regional Advocacy Project, of 496 unhoused Oregonians, 87% noted being harassed for sleeping in a vehicle, with 41% percent being cited.
Parking restrictions in Bend
In June, the Bend City Council tightened parking restrictions, shortening the time people can park cars on public right-of-ways from five calendar days to three business days. Citing increased concerns from citizens, the council voted 4-2 to change the ordinance, intending to maximize parking turnover.
“We need to send a message that we’re doing something,” councilor Bruce Abernethy said in a June City Council meeting, who additionally proposed a sliding-scale fee for repeat offenders.
“All they have to do is move,” says Bend Police Lt. Juli-Ann McConkey. “That’s the simple solution. It’s a parking issue. So the simple solution is to move.”
McConkey says that the department’s problem-orientated team focuses on livability issues, stating, “They go out and make contact with people who are living in their vehicles and figuring out services and resources for them.” She also adds that a new community outreach officer position will be put in place by the end of the year and will work with COVO to figure out solutions. “Is it as simple as, ‘I will pick you up and drop you off at Worksource to better the circumstances?'” she adds.
McConkey, who says Bend PD is strictly the enforcers of the City of Bend’s amendment and holds no official position as to the change, says those in their vehicles who are facing an interaction with an officer should be “open to suggestions from a law enforcement officer…. On where to go, what to do. And just keep moving the vehicle so it’s not getting called in.” McConkey states that the parking issue is strictly a “complaint-driven process… We don’t actively go out and seek vehicles that aren’t moving.”
Her solution for those wishing to avoid the three-day rule would be to try other areas. “There’s BLM. There’s Forest Service. There’s a lot of places people can go and stay longer than the allotted time we have in the city. Different people have different options. It depends, if somebody is living in La Pine that might be a better option that someone living in Bend.”
While different land managers have differing rules, in the local area, people can stay in one place on Forest Service or BLM lands for up to two weeks at a time before needing to move on.
“Twice when I parked near a nicer home, I had a police encounter because someone reported a ‘suspicious vehicle.’ It can be stressful being woken up to a flashlight being shone straight down onto you.” —Colin B.
Growing pains
A quick search of the community-based social media platform Nextdoor conjures multiple posts of people irate at the growing number of vehicles parked in their neighborhoods. “Watch out for an old white dented Corolla, parked ILLEGALLY for days on my street. Lock your car doors people!” reads one post, among a scattering of similar threads complaining of “eyesores” littering the streets. “My alleyway smells like piss,” reads another, “I found toilet-paper in the bushes.”
When a parked car is reported to Bend PD, volunteers respond to tag the vehicle. If unmoved after three days, the car is then towed and impounded—a costly process that may amount to hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, for the owner.
McConkey says in September, 225 cars got citations for violating parking rules and 36 were towed. Apart from the parking restrictions, vehicles may be fined or impounded for other reasons, including having an expired vehicle registration of more than 30 days.
That brings up an entirely new problem: those living in the cars losing their vehicles because of lack of registration, driver’s license or insurance. According to Consolidated Towing, Bend PD’s contracted tower, a person retrieving their vehicle must show proof of all three. Not only that, they must pay to retrieve their vehicle in cash, as no credit cards are accepted for cars impounded by the police—a barrier which can leave many unable to pay. In the worst-case scenarios, people lose their vehicle to either auction or salvage, forcing them to seek shelter elsewhere.
A man who wished to remain anonymous because of an impending court date said he had his vehicle impounded and was unable to conjure up the nearly $900 to get it back. Not only did he face the costs of the tow, the new registration and insurance costs, but the daily impound fee, which varies drastically from tow operators and can be on average $40 to $50 a day. He said he had to pay approximately $100 to retrieve personal belongings before his vehicle was to be “crushed.”
COVO Homeless Outreach Coordinator David Nieradka says he sees the problem quite often. “You see guys with four or five DUIS, no registration, living in cars. They’re in survival mode. There is no game plan for them. It’s just day-to-day.”
A solution: safe parking
Up until recently there were areas within Bend and Redmond where individuals could camp overnight without being hassled—Walmart being one. “We’ve lost both Walmarts in our areas,” says Skidmore. “They patrol now. You can see the difference, the lot is empty. So that option’s gone now.”
Designated safe parking lots are spaces for people who live in their cars that don’t draw the wrath of residents or the prying eyes of police officers.
Safe parking areas exist in Eugene, Los Angeles and Palo Alto, California. Beaverton, Oregon launched a new safe parking area in April, with six spots over two sites. City officials want to expand to up to 15 spots over five spots. The ACLU notes the legislative barrier, stating that, “laws limit the ability of cities and private parties to provide legal and safe sleeping arrangements for their unhoused community members.” For example, a church’s property could provide a place for individuals to park, however state law prohibits accommodating more than three vehicles, and sanitation facilities must be provided.
“So it’s possible you just need to find people willing to do it,” says Skidmore. Who then adds, “But we can’t even get a warming shelter set up in Bend.”
J.W Terry notes that what’s needed is a one-stop camp. “If I ever won, you know the lottery, I’d set up a camp that has rooms available—you have your medical, your counseling, everything is there, one stop. You have a captive audience right there. You’re not sending them all over the city.” He also notes, “throwing them in a house is not enough. They were homeless for a reason and if you can’t work with them for the reasons they were homeless, they’re going to be homeless again.”
Terry himself has noticed a slight uptick in individuals requiring COVO’s assistance, and remains devoted to the cause. “It takes some community buy-in and we’re not there yet… I think there’s a few people starting to listen,” noting that, “You can’t keep doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result. We’re not getting a different result. There’s an increase in homeless, so what we’re doing isn’t all that’s needed.”
This article appears in Oct 30 – Nov 6, 2019.
MAKE LOCAL JOURNALISM HAPPEN
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
Thank you for writing about this. I have been living in a car for a few years in Bend and the struggle is real (on both sides–for the homeless, and the neighborhoods where ppl park).
I am a working class person with valid registration, car insurance, no DUIIs, etc, but this was STILL very relatable in so many ways–just living in your car comes with a lot of stigma and being “frowned upon” by those with homes in Bend.
The city bought Juniper Ridge years ago to develop into an industrial area. It was also supposed to be the location of the new OSU campus. The city has failed miserably with this area, Why not pave an area out there, provide sanitation,security and a shelter for the homeless and instruct them to go there if they want to stay in the Bend area. This would provide a safe location for the homeless and get them out of the neighborhoods.
The homeless situation is so complicated. The city must somehow meet the needs of the home and business owners and provide services and parking for those living in their cars. It can be done, but it takes a city council willing to work together and determined to find the solution. In politics these days, consensus seems nearly impossible. What cities have been proactive? What cities have reached good solutions? Ive heard the problem has been nearly solved in Utah. Bend council members need to seek outside help.
I can comment on many things in this article, but first and foremost, if Colin P. is so stressed and concerned about the cost of living in Bend and the fact that winter is approaching, why did he move to Bend only a few months ago? Why not select a location that is more affordable and with a milder climate?
To the juniper ridge comment. Have you ever been out to juniper ridge I bet not. It’s disgusting there’s so much trash and fecal matter out there but it’s unbelievable.I live in the neighborhood adjacent to juniper ridge and the homeless are constantly marching up and down the street checking car doors stealing stuff off people’s porches, it not pleasant. I’m not saying all homeless people are thieves in or bad but it’s the ones that do it that make the whole population seem unwanted.guess who gets to pick up the bill on juniper ridge does cell of the city does decide to use it the taxpayers I bet if the mayor or some City councillor lived in one of the neighboring neighborhoods that place would be closed down and cleaned up immediately. I’ve been living here for 15 years in this exact same neighborhood and I’ve seen the homeless population quadrupled in size walking out to juniper ridge.I used to walk my dog out there until one day he ate something and got really sick and then we found out it was some sort of food laced with pot.I have not walked out there in 2 years now with my dog but occasion I walk out there just to see how disgusting it still is. People from Les Schwab and sutera used to jog out there and now I hear they’re getting attacked by homeless dogs.that is city land and they used to be signs posted everywhere but said no camping and there was a city ordinance but the city is not doing anything about it it’s so sickening that that nice piece of land has gone to ruin and the city has done absolutely nothing about it.at one time they did put up rocks and down trees and dug ditches so people couldn’t drive and bring their campers out there. But recently because the homeless people seem to work more at not working have moved all the rocks and improve their own roads and are now driving out there. there needs to be something done but I can tell you I don’t want to homeless encampment near my neighborhood. Many other people here feel the same way.
Many homeless people here are locals who can no longer afford to live here. As rent, taxes, and everything goes up, many people can’t work enough hours to pay for the things that the incoming elite class expects us all to have, and truthfully, nobody should have to work so hard for so little. What should we expect these people to do, move away to somewhere “affordable”, away from their family and home? Maybe we should change our thinking to realize that compassion is more critical to life and society than pretty trinkets in spotless mcmansion yards. It’s unbelievable to me that in a country as wealthy as ours, we still can’t find the humanity to take care of each other. When I was a kid we wore t-shirts saying “central Oregon…poverty with a view” and we came together to take care of people in their hard times. I’m sad to say that our culture here has become so pretentious, self-serving, and cold as to worry more about neighborhood aesthetics than the health and safety of our community members. And we’re so proud! Shameful.
travis. i’m not sure about how many of the homeless/transients are actually from Bend, but feel free to take inventory and speak from facts rather than conjecture. also, this is a very complicated situation and many of us non-homeless/transients do sadly stereotype those less fortunate as much as you stereotype everyone else here as elite and having trinkets and mcmansions. i’ve always been caring and humane when dealing with those less fortunate than myself, but i don’t have more than i need. what i’d like to point out is that most people i know are very helpful and contribute their time and money to run shelters, COVA, etc., w/o any expectation of compensation. what those of us who are in that category, don’t expect but unfortunately get is theft of our modest homes or person or vehicle, by someone who is less fortunate, or needs money for something, which i have experienced personally and have video recording of and identified the culprit as a homeless/transient person living in juniper ridge and who frequently rides his bike through our neighbor to get to his. so again, i like others in this and other areas, most of us are compassionate on this issue, but we are becoming less tolerant of illegal activity in our modest neighborhoods.
Thank you, Paul, for being one of the compassionate ones. I’d like to let you know that I worked a temporary census job in 2010 specifically with transient populations, and I can tell you firsthand that yes, many are displaced locals, and sadder yet, I recognized so many of them as “normal” working class individuals from my youth. Almost all of my friends from childhood have moved elsewhere, in order to find a livable wage and affordable home (and a tolerable culture, one more resembling the one we lost here). I too can tell you a lot about theft and violence, having dealt with it multiple times on my and my family’s property: police, court, the whole thing. All of the people that I’ve actually caught have been home-dwellers, probably struggling to pay their bills or their meth habits. Many are recent arrivals. My family has been in Central Oregon since the 1880’s, and I’ve heard a lot about how “homeless” have been treated here through the generations, first the displaced Indigenous populations and Mexicans, then the Gypsies, then the Red Robes, now the Veterans and “Mentally Handicapped”. It boils down to people who are considered “marginal”, at any specific time in history, usually end up with less opportunity and more hardship. These people aren’t necessarily wrong, they just find themselves surrounded by a culture that doesn’t vibe with them, and often have to do “marginal” things to survive. I can’t blame people not vibing with the current culture, when I myself am completely baffled by it daily. I choose to live in a 200 sq ft cabin I built off-grid, so I can live a less manic and ego-driven life, focusing less on economics and more on having less impact and mindfulness. I’m lucky enough to be able to live on my family’s land, or I too would have to move on to more affordable places, if I wish to continue to live here and not develop mental problems as well, trying to keep up with the breakneck pace that’s developed under my nose. Thing is, I am not stereotyping when I say what Bend is. I’ve witnessed it first-hand through my life, as anyone else who’s lived here their whole life has, and just because awesome people contribute to helping those less-fortunate, doesn’t mean the problem behind those less fortunate people’s actions has been alleviated or solved at all.
Gal, my best guess is that Colin is attending COCC for their aviation program. Its a very popular program for veterans and one of the best around.